December 20, (THEWILL) – After making his comeback from injury at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last week, Rafael Nadal has tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival in Spain. On Monday, the 35-year-old posted a message in Spanish on his Instagram account:
“I wanted to announce that on my return home after playing the Abu Dhabi tournament, I have tested positive for COVID … when I arrived in Spain.”
Nadal revealed he tested negative during his tenure in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, including on Friday last week.
“I am having some unpleasant moments but I hope that I will improve little by little. I am now homebound and have reported the result to those who have been in contact with me,” he wrote.
Andy Murray and Denis Shapovalov narrowly defeated the Spaniard in his return from injury at the exhibition event, which was his first competitive appearance since the Citi Open in Washington in August. Nadal said he will “analyse options” and “depending on the outcome” determine future tournaments.
A foot ailment forced the 20-time Grand Slam champion was forced to sit out for four months. He was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics, and the US Open after losing in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
He has previously stated that he cannot promise he would be able to attend the Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
It comes after Novak Djokovic’s participation in the Australian Open in January was called into question, with tournament organisers requiring all players to be vaccinated.
Roger Federer has revealed that he will not be competing in the tournament owing to his knee surgery.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
